Full of Magical Realism, García-Montero’s The Bad Intentions tells the story of nine-year-old Cayetana whose vivid imaginary world, in which she had secluded herself, collapses when she learns her mother is pregnant. She turns to her father, but he is an unreliable good-for-nothing. She plunges back into her fantasy world, populated by the historical national heroes who she has learned about in school – if she must go down, she will do so like a hero. Meanwhile, the house is bustling with preparations for the Christmas holidays, with everybody seemingly unfazed by the terrorist attacks shaking the country. Only Cayetana doesn’t share in this joy. She is engaged in a desperate struggle to remain present in the eyes of everyone – and especially her mother.